Redefining Success Through the Generations

How Gen Z is forging a new path for the future

By Soledad Demeuse | March 15, 2025

This article is written by Soledad Demuse, a student at Traverse City West Senior High.

When you close your eyes and think of the word “success,” what do you picture? Do you see yourself leading a thriving business? Coming home to a big family you built? Traveling the world on your own time?

For past generations, the measure of success in life often depended on wealth, prestige, and common milestones, but that has morphed with rising generations. The younger generation has made it clear that success is no longer confined to the typical societal expectations, and we have redefined what it means to lead a meaningful life.

Changing the Narrative

Traditionally, many people viewed others as successful depending on their educational and professional achievements; things like a college degree, powerful positions within the workplace, and financial stability were celebrated. This view of “success”, however, fails to recognize one crucial aspect of personal fulfillment—finding pure happiness beyond work.

While getting filthy rich may truly be someone’s dream and idea of success, the expectation to do so has greatly declined amongst the younger generations. Instead, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and prioritizing mental well-being has become much more sought-after.

In a 2023 study done by Liberty University, a group of 421 participants were asked to rank their perceived importance of work-to-life balance on a scale from 2.00 to 10.00. Baby Boomers averaged approximately a 5.19 on the scale, Generation X at 7.93, Millennials at 8.69, and Gen Z at a whopping 9.04.

Baby Boomers and Gen X have often been characterized by their stable, hard-working nature, but their dedication sometimes led to normalizing unhealthy work-life relationships, which deterred younger generations from that lifestyle.

Another major driver of this shift is social media. Not only have influencers been adamant about prioritizing mental health, but they have also inspired others to overlook societal expectations of success and carve their own path. Influencers have been able to make a living traveling the world, renovating old houses, sharing health, beauty, and fashion tips, and even cooking for their friends and families—none of which happens in a 9-to-5 office setting.

With millions of people sharing their stories, goals, and life journeys, it has been made clear that “success” comes in many fonts. Regardless of how people measure success, social media influencers have created a more progressive society that highlights a diverse portrayal of fulfilling lifestyles.

Different Strokes

As a senior in high school, I’ve witnessed the shift in conventional standards of going to college, getting a job, and getting wealthy first-hand. Today, many of my peers are choosing to go to trade school, go straight for a job, take a gap year, or follow some other path.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 61.4 percent of recent high school graduates enrolled in college as of October 2023, marking the lowest rate in three decades.

To put that into perspective, The Financial Times claims that approximately 70 percent of high school graduates enrolled in college in 2016. Those numbers are only continuing to drop as younger students become more comfortable choosing alternate pathways—and warier about the mountain of costs of a college education.

Yet, these new advancements have fed into the misconception that Gen Z is “lazy” and not willing to work or go to college. While it may appear that the majority of Gen Z is slacking off because of their disinterest in maintaining long-term jobs, this take can actually be much more efficient for many individuals. In fact, Gen Z has learned from previous generations’ attempts to change the framework of success.

In many ways, the redefinition of success actually began with the Millennials. They were the first to start rejecting typical norms of staying loyal to one employer for 30+ years and started valuing flexibility and personal preferences over long-term employment. Many often embraced passion-driven work. Their lack of career tenure made many of them appear “less successful” in the older generation’s eyes, who valued job stability, loyalty, and ownership of assets.

As millennials began to take on more passion-driven projects, many embraced “hustle culture”—success from either overworking in their primary job or constantly working side hustles, often while holding down the full-time job that paid the bills. Although the intention of trying to take on more meaningful work was in the right place, the execution of the practice resulted in burnout.

In 2020, Vox called Millennials “the burnout generation,” and in 2024 Fortune reported that the generation was “aging from bright-eyed ‘hustle culture’ workers into exhausted middle managers.”

A New Way Forward

Gen Z, however, built on this foundation. My generation has held onto the concept of taking on passion-driven projects rather than following the conventional standards of the pathway to success, all while letting go of the toxic mindset that we must always be hustling to be successful. Prioritizing balance has become a more worthwhile goal.

(And besides, some of the milestones that were straightforward for Baby Boomers in their 20s
and 30s—paying off student loans, buying a home, starting a family—are financially out of reach
for most Gen Z workers, even those who hold down multiple jobs.)

Ultimately, the traditional prescribed path of success has been and will continue to be rejected by the younger generation as they reach adulthood. As a society, we have shifted from valuing homeownership, long-term employment, and financial stability to prioritizing a solid mental state and a balanced lifestyle.

While everyone has different needs and objectives, we need to continue to move away from one universal definition of success and embrace the reality that it is no longer one-size-fits-all.

Success is no longer a single route for everyone, it is a journey to a meaningful life—success is what YOU make it.